Assam: Opposition MLAs term UCC Bill as 'BJP's political agenda', seek wider consultation

Guwahati: The opposition members in the Assam Assembly on Wednesday termed the Bill on Uniform Civil Code as "BJP's political agenda" and sought wider consultation among all stakeholders before the passage of the proposed legislation.

During a discussion on 'The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill', which was taken up for passage, the opposition MLAs also said it will hurt the rights of a certain section of society.

"The topics mentioned in the UCC are already enforced in the form of different laws. Issues related to child marriage, polygamy, registration of marriage and divorce, alimony and other issues are governed by various laws. Then why has UCC been brought in?" said Congress Legislature Party leader Wajed Ali Choudhury.

He stressed that it is "not a simplification of the laws, but rather complicating the whole process".

"The BJP brought it only for politics. It's not democratic to intervene in the personal issues of people. And how can a law excluding the tribals be called uniform?" Choudhury questioned.

He alleged that bringing in the UCC is a diversionary tactic from the main issues like unemployment, flood and the condition of government schools, among others.

Aiming for a common set of laws on a range of personal matters like marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion, the Assam government on Monday tabled a Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, seeking to ban polygamy and make registration of live-in relationships compulsory.

The Bill, however, said that it will not be applicable to any persons belonging to the Scheduled Tribes residing in Assam. It proposed several punitive measures, including seven years imprisonment for bigamy or polygamy, and three months in jail for not registering a live-in relationship.

Supporting Choudhury, Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar said the then Law Commission in 2018 had opined that there was no need for the UCC, and had suggested, if the government at all wanted to bring in, wider consultation among all stakeholders.

"The Assam government introduced the Bill without discussing it with different groups of religious organisations. Many religions and social groups are not represented in the Assembly. Unity in diversity is our motto," he added.

Sikdar demanded a wider consultation before the Bill is passed by the Assembly, and urged the Speaker not to proceed towards the passage of the draft legislation.

"In 2023, PM Narendra Modi, in a BJP booth meeting, had said that there cannot be two laws for two members of a house, and there should be one law for one house. So, the title of the UCC must be changed as it does not include all people of the state," Sikdar said.

He asked why the government is meting out injustice to some people by not making them part of the UCC.

"This Bill is just the BJP's political agenda, as we already have existing laws dealing with the topics. We don't need the UCC," he said.

Another Congress MLA Nurul Huda moved an amendment, seeking the inclusion of all tribes and communities of the state in the UCC.

"Our Constitution says there cannot be discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and religion. We cannot keep certain groups outside the purview of a law," he added.

AIUDF MLA Mazibur Rahman said the Constitution mentions various clauses for the rights of the minorities, and the Assam government has brought in the UCC under Article 44, which is part of the Directive Principles of the State Policy.

"However, fundamental rights cannot be sacrificed in the name of directive principles. A process is going on to hurt the rights of certain sections," he claimed.

Rahman stated that the Muslim Personal Law, primarily based on Shariat, has all the points mentioned in the proposed UCC.